The Toddler Community is designed for children ages 18 months to 2.5 years.  This setting provides a place where children are allowed to explore their own movements and culture by being active participants in those activities that mirror what the child sees in the world around him/her.   The Toddler Classroom is meticulously prepared to provide a home-like, loving environment where children’s abilities and needs are respected and met. “Help me to help myself” is the mantra of children at this stage of development. Toddler children enrolled at Kendalwood will find that it is an extension of their home environment. The comfortability of their environment provides consistency, familiarity and order during a time of great transition and development. Here at Kendalwood we have two Toddler environments.

For example, during lunch time the children share responsibility for setting the table and for cleaning up after eating. They are provided with placemats which outline the placement of a plate or bowl, a cup and the utensils. Each Toddler classroom is also stocked with child sized brooms, mops, dustpans and spray bottles to make the cleaning ritual fun.

A big part of being a Toddler involves learning to care for oneself.  We place a lot of emphasis on independence, assisting the children in learning to dress themselves, wipe their own noses, wash their hands and faces, use the toilet and to keep track of their personal belongings.  This takes up quite a bit of time during the child’s day and it is definitely a very important part of our curriculum.

Kendalwood’s classrooms are prepared with low shelves and a modest number of clearly displayed materials to create an attractive atmosphere where children will be enticed to choose materials and make decisions based on their own interests and strengths. The ability to make independent choices fosters confidence and independence.

Everything in this specially prepared environment is designed to meet the specific needs of very young children in terms of the development of receptive and expressive language and communication skills, gross and fine motor skills, toileting and independence.  The children have the freedom to make choices for themselves regarding their activity within this enriching environment.

The children are free to learn at their own pace, processing information through their senses and their actions while developing a sense of trust and autonomy. This is an environment that supports the child’s need for exploration and large motor activities; a place that fosters their internal sense of order as well as their growing linguistic skills.  This is also an environment that nurtures the beginnings of social interaction through parallel play with an emphasis on mutual respect.

 

Kendalwood Montessori & Elementary School is Durham Region’s first fully accredited Montessori school. At Kendalwood, we believe that our job is to inspire children to become the best students they can be. With a curriculum that focuses on developing the intellect as well as nurturing self-esteem, academics are taught, curiosity is cultivated and respect is fostered. Our approach creates an environment where students flourish and develop a lifelong love of learning.